


None Of Us Can Leave Omelas

by Alexis_Oreilly



Category: Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas - Ursula K. Le Guin
Genre: Humanity, Morality, Philosophy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-25 05:47:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21611107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alexis_Oreilly/pseuds/Alexis_Oreilly
Summary: A creative non-fiction work about Omelas and its place in our world.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 9





	None Of Us Can Leave Omelas

We all know the child in Omelas. No need to imagine a society where everyone is happy, where every need is met, in order for this child to exist. The child in Omelas exists, and our world is imperfect anyway. The child in Omelas lives in Bangladesh and its fingers are small enough to weave textiles more quickly that adults. Across the world a woman buys a new top for a night out. It costs £3. She wears it once. The child in Bangladesh can’t read, but it can count, somewhat, and it knows that the number of days they owe in indentured servitude isn’t getting any less. They don’t do anything about it. They can’t do anything about it. They are the child in Omelas.

The child in Omelas lives on the border of Mexico and the United States of America. It lives in a small tent crammed with other children, but it is utterly alone. The American public is told they are dangerous, rapists and gangsters. They live to serve a political agenda and it is working. Adults who don’t speak their language tell them they were breaking the law and are attempting to illegally enter the Unites States. They don’t understand. They cry. They are the child in Omelas.

We like to think we would walk away from Omelas. We will not. We cannot. We don’t live in Omelas because nothing is perfect and everything is at least a little bit shit, but the child suffers in the basement anyway. Without the child in Omelas, how do we remind ourselves that it could be worse for us? For our own children?

None of us could leave Omelas because Omelas is all there is.

**Author's Note:**

> "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas" is a difficult story for many of us because it reflects the reality of our world. If you have any points I haven't covered, or and feedback I would love if you could comment and share your thoughts.


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